Who Knew?

Mount Vernon is getting a splash pad at Riverside Park, hopefully as early as this fall.

  • Councilwoman Amber Keener announced plans Monday night at the City Council meeting. The splash pad will be pirate-themed and named in the memory of former Ariel executive, husband and father, Hunter Wright (Capt. Hunter’s Landing). Funding for the splash pad and the adjacent pavilion are coming from the Ariel Corporation and the Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County.
  • The pavilion will be able to host events like local meetings, outdoor music lessons, book talks, and parts of the library’s summer reading program. Rendering pictures here were provided by Councilwoman Keener!

Today is National Pecan Pie Day!

  • Pecan pie is a staple at Thanksgiving and Christmas tables around the country.
  • The first printed pecan pie recipe surfaced in an 1886 edition of “Harper’s Bazaar” magazine. Years later, various forms of the recipe were published in well-known cookbooks such as “Joy of Cooking.”
  • NationalToday.com reports that throughout the early 1900s, Karo corn syrup was invented and yet another claim to the discovery of pecan pie emerged. The wife of a company executive shared her recipe using Karo as the ingredient of choice instead of maple syrup, honey, or molasses. Whether her claim is true, Karo corn syrup helped raise the popularity of pecan pie when they published the recipe on the product can.

Today is also National Eat Your Jello Day…um…what??

  • Jell-O was trademarked in New York in 1897, but it’s a classic dessert we all know and love! The best part of it is that it comes in a variety of flavors and can be combined with many ingredients for a simple, delicious treat. 
  • Read more here!

Congratulations to Steve of Granville, who won today’s family 4-pack of tickets!

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Zoe